Almost a year and a half after her arrest, Ghislaine Maxwell, purported sex trafficker and longtime associate of outed pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, appeared in a federal court in Manhattan for the beginning of her trial on November 29. Epstein was the mastermind behind a sex trafficking ring among the wealthy elite, and his arrest led to the small but real possibility of the downfall of powerful and influential names such as Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump — why Epstein’s suicide in August 2019 while awaiting his trial could not have come at a more convenient time for the alleged abusers linked to him. With Epstein dead, the spotlight shifted to Epstein’s right hand woman: Ghislaine Maxwell.

Daughter of a disgraced media baron, Ghislaine Maxwell is aptly called a British socialite. Maxwell moved to New York in the early 1990s where she formed connections with people in high positions. It was also there where she met Jeffrey Epstein. What initially began as a normal romantic relationship later turned into what one can only describe as a deranged dynamic between an insatiable sexual predator and a supposed enthusiastic facilitator of sexual abuse. Maxwell is currently being accused of grooming handpicked girls into performing sexual acts for Epstein, as well as being a participant in a handful of instances of sexual abuse. However, with her freedom on the line, she claims that she too was an unfortunate victim of Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell’s current defense revolves around two main strategies. First, the defense claims that the memories of the alleged victims are unreliable due to the long period of time that has passed since the crimes supposedly occurred. According to Maxwell’s camp, the constant barrage of media reports about other victims could have also corrupted the victim’s recollection of their encounter with Epstein and Maxwell. Moreover, Maxwell insists that she is merely being used as a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes; with him dead, she has become the easy target for public crucifixion. And as a final measure, the defense didn’t miss the opportunity to undermine the morality of the victims, claiming that they are merely opportunists tempted by the life-changing sum of money they might receive as compensation.

However, the prosecution believes that with the numerous victims who came forward, along with the cooperation of former employees of Epstein, they can paint a clear picture of Maxwell’s involvement in the crimes. The acts of sexual abuse were reported to have occured majorly in three locations, two of which Maxwell has been a constant visitor of and the third being her home in Belgravia, London. The first witness called by the prosecution, one of Epstein’s longtime pilots, described Maxwell and Epstein’s relationship as clearly something more than just employer and employee. He’s not the only one who says so, as another employee of Epstein referred to her as the “lady of the house”. This establishes that the prosecution is not going after Maxwell simply because Epstein is dead, but because in their eyes, she was a partner in crime.

Maxwell’s case is a landmark trial as it is the first major trial after the #MeToo movement gained traction when Harvey Weinstein’s criminal acts were first brought to light. It’s becoming painfully clear now that the wealthy elite has abused their positions of power for a long time. However, now that Weinstein, Epstein, and Maxwell’s abuse of their position has been reported, accountability no longer seems a possibility that is far out of reach. Regardless of the outcome, Maxwell’s trial, in conjunction with Weinstein’s, is a long-awaited step towards justice. No more dirty secrets for the filthy rich.